Garden house on a hill

Second week of art class, and the instructor went in a different direction. Most of the drawing we have done before is of a thing actually in front of us. Instead, she pinned a number of different types of landscapes and scenes on the wall, and had us make up a landscape based on elements we saw in those different images. In addition, she wanted is to focus on using crosshatching for shadows and "value" (one of those arty words that seems to mostly mean how dark it is). In addition, we needed to think about foreground, middle ground and background elements, and alsocomposition, especially things like triangles and odd numbers of elements and visually pleasing layout. Sheesh!

Some students tried to copy specific elements, while others did what I did and tried to capture the essence of the different images in our own made up landscape. I decided to make a garden house on a hillside. 

This counts as one of those learning experience drawings.I like parts of it, don't like others, but got some sense about what I would need to do differently. Now that I am doing sketches as well, I tend to break down the element a bit in my mind and ask myself what worked and what didn't. Then, I tackle the things that didn't work by watching videos and trying to "get" what I may have missed. Someday, this should all make me better, even if better is barely beyond the level of a somewhat naturally gifted 10 year old.

Sketch Day 5 - Merz and Bernie

Sketch Day 5

One of my fellow writers requested that I draw one of the giants alongside one of the trolls to get a sense of their relative sizes. This is Merz, the first giant Bernie encounters close up, and Bernie himself. His scale is such that I couldn't do much justice to his drawing, but you can probably tell he is shouting.

I am considering this more of a character sketch, as there is no scene exactly like this. At the very least, it gives me a better sense of what the giants look like. (My muse is in charge of the sketches, so I am as surprised as you by how they turn out.)

To give just a bit more sense of scale, Bernie is about half my height, or just over 3 feet tall. One meter almost exactly for you sensible metric people.

Sketch Day 4 - Bernie crawls through the tunnel

Sketch Day 4

I decided to do something a little different today. In my previous sketches, I've shown characters and a place. In this, I decided to illustrate a scene later in the book where Bernie has to crawl through a tunnel inside the lair of the dragons.

After making the sketch, I decided to go one step further and include some of the scene itself. (Obviously, they are superimposed on the actual sketch, but I thought I'd post it this way.) 

I never plan ahead what I am going to sketch, but I would assume it will be a combinations of characters, places and scenes. I may also focus on some details (such as troll feet or hands), mostly because I am trying to learn to draw them. Let me know if there is anything you would like to see more so that you can picture it. (Moar scenes! Moar characters! Dragons and trolls together! Or whatever.)

Sketch Day 3 - Bernie

Sketch Day 3

I have been a little scared to try drawing Bernie, but I decided I might as well give it a try. I don't like the body, hands or feet much, but the face is pretty close to what I want.

One of the challenges in visualizing Bernie and Tish is whether I think trolls are more human-like or less human-like.

Sketch Day 2 - The Waterfall

The Waterfall

Sketch Day 2

I went for a very different scene today. This is the waterfall behind which Granny Mac and Tish live. (The stream which leads to the waterfall is the Lillygusset for those who like names, and this is Lillygusset Falls, though it is quite small.)

I am experimenting with sketches at the same time as trying illustrations, and this is my try for more abstract surfaces. I kind of like it, though I am sure there is more I could do to emphasize the light on different rocks without getting too concrete. Still, I am quite proud of this one. Maybe tomorrow I will even try Bernie. 

Maybe.

Sketch Day 1 - Granny Mac and Tish

Sketch Day 1

As many of you know, I am in the middle of polishing a novel for middle grade (7-12 y.o.) kids. It is called Reach for the Sky, and it features two troll children, Bernie and Tish. I decided that rather than sketch random stuff, I am going to try to visualize some of the characters and scenes from my novel each day. This is very experimental, as part of my passion for learning to draw is trying to figure out what Bernie and Tish look like. I'll also try sketching where they live, some of the obstacles they face (giants! dragons!) and perhaps a map of where there adventures take place.

Tish lives with her Granny Mac, and I decided for my first day to try drawing the two of them. This is somewhere between drawing and sketching, and we will have to see whether all my sketches are like that or some are more or less detailed. In case you wonder, this is not really how I see Granny Mac and Tish looking, so I may have to keep trying to get them closer to my internal (and very fuzzy) image.

Still Life with Convoluted Cow

Art class has finally started up again after the holidays, and our first project was a mixed up sort of still life. Our instructor likes these because she thinks it helps get you away from the idea of the thing to the reality of the thing. She is always telling us to draw what we actually see, not what we think we should see.

I am fairly happy with this, especially because I captured more of the character of the odd clay cow than I thought I would be able to. (It has horns and udders, so I am choosing to call it a cow, though it is possible it was intended to be some other animal entirely.)

I am also hoping to do a sketch-a-day, though I likely won't do them the days I do art class. The subject of those sketches will be revealed when I post the first one.